Char-Broil 463250211

The Bottom Line

Char-Broil found success with what they call "Urban" grills. These 2-burner gas grills are perfect for small spaces. The Red urban uses the same RED technology Char-Broil introduced in 2008. By heating a metal U-shaped infrared emitter the grill works by completely separating the flame from the food. This technology can generate high temperatures with less fuel consumption, making it a more efficient way to grill. This 2-burner unit gives you 300 square inches of cooking space and does it for around $270USD. The downside is the limited lifespan of the U-emitter.

This model of the RED is the smallest grill to make use of this technology. With only 2 burners, fold down side tables and pretty much nothing else this grill is specifically design for the person who doesn't have a lot of space but still wants a full sized grill. Because of the design the RED series grills you don't need a lot of fuel to heat up the cooking chamber. On the downside this grill, like all the grill in this series can take a long time to heat up. Preheating time is around 20 minutes to get to full power.

The way this grill works is that the two burners focus their heat onto a rounded piece of porcelain coated sheet metal called a trough. The intense heat can cause the porcelain coating to flake off and expose the metal to the elements. This will lead to rusting. Once the metal rusts through the grill will be unusable. Warranty on this part is two years but doesn't cover rusting.

One point with this technology that you should consider. All drippings from the foods you cook are captured in the U-emitter. Under normal circumstances this will burn off from the heat. If can cause a good deal of smoke as it happens. If you are cooking foods that are particularly high in fat, grease can collect in the U-emitter and spontaneously ignite when the lid is opened. So if you are using this grill or one based on the RED technology please be careful.

The rest of the grill uses a combination of painted steel and low grade stainless steel with plastic knobs. The stainless steel body parts are prone to discoloring and rusting over time so this grill needs to be kept clean and protected from the elements. If you buy this grill make sure you get a good cover for it.